THE H— STREET AFFAIR.

Evening Star, Issue 7403, 24 December 1887, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE H— STREET AFFAIR.

[From 'Belobavia,']

Towards the close of a certain day—a Novembor day it was, by the way—l was seated in my consulting-room making a jotting, as it was my custom to do, of my day's visits. It was not late; evening was only closing in; but I had considered my work for another day at an end, As a doctor of medicine my practice was not large. I had not long commenced to practice, which will account for my duties not being of a severely trying character. The neighborhood in which I had established myself, at some little distance from the city, was one for the most part given up to a better middle-class population. Afraid to risk my chances of success in a too aristocratic district, and not altogether desiring to throw in my lot with the poorer people, I deemed it politic to adopt a medium course ; and, I must say, I had as yet found no reason to regret having done so. I was young and prepared to battle for a position, as I well appreciated I would have to do. Not infrequently the opportunity was given me of undertaking hospital work, such as assisting at post mortems, etc., and while I cannot state that this added much to my slender income, I was thereby undoubtedly acquiring the best of knowledge. On this November afternoon, as I have said, I was occupied in my little room in rear of the shop. I had not been many minutes in, when a cab rattled up to the door and dropped a tall, foreign-looking man, who, entering and showing signs of no little excitement, inquired for me. Surmising that I was about to be introduced to a new " case," I left my chair and went into the shop. The tall man was breathing hard, as if he had run a couple of miles for me, instead of driving in a four-wheeler as he had done. I was not prepossessed by his appearance. There was something like a distrustful scowl upon his face, which was well browned; and his excitement, I half decided, was, at any rate in part, assumed. " You are Dr Ambrose ?" he inquired, in a voice in which anxiety was well displayed, his restless beady black eyes seeming to search me through and through. I nodded, and he went on. "Ah ! well I want you to see a patient. If—if you'll get into the cab, I'll explain as we drive along." With some degree of trepidation, for there was something about him I did not like, I acquiesced, and, following him into the vehicle at the door, we were soon moving at a breakneck pace over the ill-paved streets. It was a misty night, and I could not discern where I was being driven, but was quite aware of an exceedingly large number of turnings being made. We were, it seemed to mo, perpetually turning corners; and I was in a perfect maze as to my whereabouts.

My companion leant back in the carriage and rubbed his brow with his handkerchief, eyeing me the while in the same distrustful manner I had before noticed.

He was, or pretended to be, so much upset by excitment that I said not a word to him, although he had expressed his intention of supplying me with the details of tho case as we drove along. As a consequence, the cab was pulled up before another word had been exchanged between us.

Wo had stopped before a large private self-contained dwelling of several storeys. The houses were all very much alike, I had managed to remark, as wo wore whirled rapidly through the quiet street, and I could not recollect having ever been in it before.

The door was approached by about a dozen steps, up which I follow the stranger, who let himself in with a key. The door closed behind us with a noisy bang, that Btruck me as being very inconsiderate with an ill person on the premises, and I found myself in an elegantly furnished though illlighted hallway. As we entered a dog approached us. Hasty as was my motion, some defect about one of its eyes caused me to regard it particularly. The left eyelid was only partially open when the other was wido awake, and this gave to the animal an unusual sleepy look. Hidding me follow him, the stranger proceeded up the stairs, and pushing open a door he ushered me into a bedroom. On the bed lay the rigid form, entirely covered, of what I on my first glance decided was a female of thin, spare build. Laying aside my hat and gloves, I approached noiselessly, and was about to turn down tho bedclothes to sec the face of my patient, when the stranger spoke. His voico was low, but it contained such a menaco as made me take a step back. " Dr Ambrose," he said, speaking slowly, and fixing me with a stare, which I returned as haughtily as my astonishment permitted, •' this is your patient. He " I started. Then the person was that of a man, not of a woman, as I had thought. I glanced in doubt to the figure on the bed, which had undergone uo change of posture. The stranger remarked my astonishment, and his eyes gleamed malignantly under his lowered brows, as he continued, if possible, even more threateningly than before—

"Ha is unconscious. Now, understand mo, Doctor. His face must remain concealed from you, and the. bedclothes must not be disturbed.'

"But," I expostulated, in wonderment at his reasons for such conduct, " how in the world am I to diagnose the patient's ailment, if not permitted to make even a cursory examination ?" "As best you can under the circumstances. You can use your hands to count the boat of the pulse, and do all that is necessary for you to do in that manner, under the bedclothes; but you must not see his/acc." " And what is your reason for this extravagant proceeding?" I asked him, angrily, now fully determined to decline to render medical aid under any such preposterous and impossible conditions. " I do not intend to give any reason," wfs his blunt reply. " Then," I said sternly, " it is impossible for me to prescribe for the patient. I must sec her to understand what is wrong." I said "her " intentionally, on the spur of the moment.

" You must see him, you mean, doctor," he corrected, catching me up and glaring at me, his brows again angrily lowering. I readily perceived from this incident that my first decision as to the sex of the patient was the right one. I was now fully informed as to what sort of man I had to deal with—one of an unscrupulous, unbending nature, prone to browbeating—and that there was some villainy afloat I was thoroughly convinced. Wo were alone in the apartment with the patient, who had never once moved since my arrival; indeed, I had seen no one else as yet. I was some paces from the bed ; but, making up my mind on the instant, I strode towards it, at the same moment partly wrenching aside the clothes that covered the head, I had time to see a pinched white lifeless face, the muscles fixedly set, a blue tinge surrounding the eyes, which were closed. A thin streak of silky black hair was upon tho upper lip. To act and perceive theso things was but a second's work ; then turning and facing tho stranger, whose features were fairly contorted by passion, I ejaculated tho three words, the first that occurred to me:— " This is murder !"

Scarcely had the accusation found utterance when a stunning blow on the top of my head, as from a heavy bar, deprived me of my senses, and I sank unconscious to the ground.

11. When I came to myself I was lying on the little couch in my room behind the shop, my assistant doing what he could to restore me. The wound on my head was very painful, but, I was glad to find, was not of a serious character. Naturally, on recovering my senses, I was surprised at finding myself there, and asked an explanation, for I remembered nothing after the blow. *• The same gentleman brought you back in tho cab," I was informed. "He said you had tripped in stepping out of it, and he feared you had received a severe hurt to your head. Ho was greatly upset, and after getting you brought in here, said his wife waa so ill he couldn't wait, but must go at once for another doctor."

Crafty fellow ! was my unspoken comment, but—"His wife did ho say?" I queried incredulously. " Yes," replied my assistant; " and he said he would come back later and see how you got on. There's the card ho left." I took it eagerly, and read : " Jules R. Condott." It gave no address, and I tossed it aside, for I know it had been used merely as a blind to my unsuspicious assistant. I pondered tho affair long; but could make nothing of it. It was patent to me thore was undoubted villainy about; but the more I mused over it, the more clearly did I realise how powerless I was to interfere. However, I resolved it was my bounden duty to report the occurrence to the police authorities ; and I did so without delay. A quick-witted detective sergeant, by the name of Holland, was put on the case, and with him I discussed the matter at considerable length and in all its aspects. At the very outset we were nonplussed, in that I was unable to point out the house to which I had been conveyed. "I don't really see," said Holland tome after severe deliberation when we met by appointment early on the succeeding day—- " I don't really Bee how we are to set about inquiries. You can give me no clue to the street, the house, or even in what direction you were taken. There is only one way of getting at it, though, and that is for you to scour the neighborhood, for, coming accidentally upon the house, you will, of course, know it again." I had thought of that, but when I recollected that all the houses in the street were alike, or nearly so-r-for I had time to note that much before passing in behind the socalled "Jules R. Condott"—l was even doubtful of my ability to do what the detective so readily took for granted. Still, I might try ; and immediately decided to set out on my tour of discovery. But before leaving Holland, who did not think there would be any necessity for his accompanying me on my initial walk round, I spoke again of the strange patient, regarding the sex of whom I was by no means settled in my own mind. It was Holland's opinion that the man, naturally agitated in conveying me back to the shop, had made a slip in speaking of his " wife." No doubt the person really was his wife, athough he had endeavored to make believe, for some unaccountable reason, that the figure upon the bed was that of a male. The black hair on the upper lip the detective had little doubt had been attached to help out tho delusion.

Hours long I walked through every likely street, and soon gave up all hopes of succeeding in my self-imposed mission. There was a sameness about the tenements of that quarter of London that I had never till then known, and that was quite disheartening. It was more than likely in my lengthy parading that I had chanced upon the house, but how was I to know it from its fellows ? Weak from loss of blood, and tired out by my unproductive rambling, I had well-nigh decided to give up the search, when the very clue I sought for was, unaccountable as it may seem, provided to my hand. Abruptly turning a corner, I beheld, right in front of me, the sorccyed dog I had seen in the house the night before. There was no doubt about it; I knew the animal again at once. The discovery lent new energy to my tired limbs, and I plodded on after the unkempt brute, never, even for an instant, letting it out of my sight. On through crowded and again through almost deserted streets, I followed for a considerable distance, jubilant at my good fortune, for I felt I was being guided to the house I so wished to reach. The dog ambled along at a brisk pace, with which I had some difficulty in keeping up; and I would surely have been left far behind had it not been for the canine propensity to sniff at every corner. We had come to a quieter part of the neighborhood. My search was finished. Running up a number of steps, the dog seated itself calmly at a door. There was the house.

Yet when I examined it more closely I was thrown into uncertainty, for it had every sign of being tcnantlcss. The windows weie dirty, the steps unwashed, the brass about the door dull and tawny, and the casements on tho first floor were closely shuttered, whilst down in the area lay a mass of rubbish. After all, was it possible I could bo mistaken ? It was only too apparent that tho house was unoccupied. But of what use was it to stand there gazing at an empty building and a mangcy cur that sat square on its hind legs and seemed quite at home ? So, taking a note of the street and number, I returned to make my report to Mr Holland. He rubbed his hands when I announced tho finding of the dog, but, on my telling him of the unoccupied aspect of the house, his jaw fell. " We'd hotter see it together ;" and we set out for the street.

Wc had little difficulty in ascertaining that the tenement was to let, and before long we had secured tho keys ostensibly to view tho premises. The staircase I recognised ; but it was thick with dust. I led Holland to the room in which I had seen the " patient;" it was empty and covered with layers of dust, as was the case everywhere else. Any little hope which tho finding and tracking of the dog had raised, and which the deserted exterior of the building had left me, now disappeared ; for it was simply impossible that the house could have been occupied in any way the night before. Careful examination was made to discover traces of recent habitation, but none were forthcoming. In every chamber we searched ; not a corner was passed by without scrutiny; and in the end we had to admit our labor had been in vain.

I felt decidedly chagrined at this result, and though Holland tried to raise my spirits, I fancy he entertained some suspicion of my being in my right mind. Not that ho had no cause for so thinking, as I myself was now half-inclined to look on my experiences of tho previous night as having foundation solely in my own imagination. But tho pain behind my ear was too acute to permit of the long harboring of that theory. I returned disappointed to the shop, Holland going back to the police office. I was sorely in need of rest, and slumbered uneasily for a time in an arm-chair. Fortunately my professional services were not in demand; had they been so, I question if their oxcrcise would havo proved to my Eatients' or to my own advantage ; iu fact, was unfitted for work. The excitement and fatigue of the past twenty-four hours, coupled with the loss of blood from my scalp wound, wcro moro than my physique could readily put up with. But I could not long remain inactive. I was in a perpetual fidget. I had made a statement to the authorities which was already regarded with questioning by at least one of their functionaries. My professional reputation—it was not much of a reputation then, I had to admit with sorrow to myself—was at stake. I was unable to substantiate my statements, and I was altogether in a very awkward predicament, I even went the length, I may eay, of viewing myself as accessory to a dreadful crinic.

Thoughts like these kept recurring to me, and more with the intention of getting away from them than for any other reason, I onec more went out.

III.! Absently I shaped my course for the scene of my previous evening's adventure, and, almost before I knew it, found myself opposite tho house. It was now well on towards dark. The street was entirely deserted, save for my solitary self. The edifice displayed all the outward indications of being without occupants ; but as I looked up at the top windows, I fancied I saw a sudden flash of light. In doubt as to the reliability of my eyesight, I continued to gaze upwards. Again there was the flash as of a candle passed behind a Venetian blind. No longer dubious of the fact, I speedily left the spot in search of Mr Holland, pleased to be able to strengthen my position even thus trivially. The detective pursed up his lips in a puzzled way, when I breathlessly told him of the light; then, putting on his greatcoat, we left the office in company, repairing with as much celerity as we could to H street. The distance between tho police chambers and H street was no inconsiderablo one ; but Holland and I were not long in coveriug it, which we did in siltneej We took up our posts immediately oppej

site the tenoment, whero we waited in tho chill winter air for two whole hours unseen from the other Bide; but to my extreme disgust nothing was visible. Tho light did not again appear. "Doctor, look here," said Holland bluntly, as we turned away; "I oannot for the life of mo see how any person could possibly live in that house after tho examination we made to-day. But to satisfy you and put the matter at rest, although I myself think it will be fruitless, if you agree we will come back here to-morrow, get inside the house, and remain quietly in it till night. What do you say ?" " Very well," I agreed, glad to have an opportunity of settling the affair, and thoroughly put out at tho non-success of our second visit to the locality; " that ought to decide it one way or other." " You know," continued Holland, taking pity on my glum demeanor, and contradicting hiß previous opinion in doing_ so, " it is just possiblo someone may go in at night, when, of course, we shall nab him. It's queer, though, we haven't seen the dog." The following afternoon, at four o'clock as arranged, I met Holland, and together we paid another visit to II street. We quickly entered the house with as little noise as possible, and took up our quarters in a room on the first floor.

Our wait was a protracted and tiresome one, cooped up in a damp close atmosphere. The time passed with leaden step. Daylight was replaced by gloaming, and then night fell. Seven o'clock had struck, and the darknoss of night was quickly setting in, though to us it seemed tardy enough in its coming. Eight o'clock sounded from the neighboring church spire, and still no one had come to the house.

Holland said not a word; we stood in silence in the dark room; but I knew he was rapidly losing patience, as I bad done long before. Hist! Something creaked above us. Neither of us spoke. We held our breath for what was to follow. The creaking noise was repeated, accompanied by a dull hammering that reverberated strangely through the deserted chambers. I felt the sweat gather in heavy beads on my brow. There were people in the dwelling after all, then, it would appear. But who were they, and whence did they come ? "MyGod!" ejaculated Holland, under his bated breath. " What is that ?" I did not answer. I was straining my ears for the slightest sound. A subduei and sudden thud had called forth Holland's exclamation. Someone in an apartment higher up in the building was now crossing the floor, seemingly with no desire to disguise his motion. "They are at it now," again whispered Holland, and, in tho momentary silence, I was conscious of his producing a weighty truncheon from the pocket of his greatcoat. " Will you go up just now?" I inquired of him in a similarly lowered tone. " No. Let them go ahead for a while," he answered. " They get careless after a time, and can be more readily surprised."

The sounds continued, gradually growing more and more pronounced, as if to confirm Holland's statement that they would "get careless after a time."

Then the persons above us, for there were at least two, approached the head of the staircase, whore they spoke together. None of the conversation reached us where wo stood, by the slightly open door of ono of the apartments on the first floor. The talking ceased, and they seemed to move away from the head of the stair, to return again, however, after a few moments, walking slowly and laboriously, as if carrying a heavy weight between them. Cautiously-, and with a pause at every other step, they descended. A lamp, suspended by a cord from the top bannister, afforded them but a poor light to guide their movements.

At this juncture Holland silently pulled open the door of the room in which we had ensconced ourselvcß, and we receded for some distanco into the chamber. The parties coming down, whoever they were, must pass our door, which led out on to the landing. Some minutes elapsed ere two men came in sight, bearing between them a long coffin-shaped box, at the appearance of which 1 could scarce refrain from giving utterance to an exclamation of horror, for I had no doubt that it contained the body I had seen in the bedroom.

They passed before us and continued down tho flight of dusty steps. Whon about halfway down to tho basement floor, Holland grasped my arm tightly, and pulling me over towards him, whispered : " Wc must make an attempt at capture now ; only I wish I had stationed some men about. However," ho spoke grimly, " are you fit for it?" For reply I pressed his arm. "Then, come on. We must get them both," and he approached tho Btair landing on tiptoe, I following.

When wc got to the bend of the stair, the man in advance, in whom I at once recognised the person of Jules R. Condott, suddenly looking up and seeing us pursuing, dropped the box with a cry of alarm, and precipitately decamped. The other, letting go his pnd of the wooden casket, turned round to ascertain the cause of his companion's sudden retreat, and Holland, shouting " Surrender to the law," grappled with him, breathlessly bidding me follow the confederate. This behest I was on the point of obeying, but stopped, and went instead to the detective's assistance, for he was already thrown to tho ground by Mb opponent, a man of meagre build but great strength. Tho box in falling had come in contact with the thin railing of the staircase, breaking several of the plain iron supports. Wrenching away one of these, the man, snorting like an enraged bull, whirled it round his head, and I naturally fell back ; then leaping over the oblong case, he flew down the few remaining steps and disappeared. Holland's head, dashed against the wall with no little force, was badly cut, and several seconds elapsed before my efforts at restoring him were successful. Then with as little delay as possible wo followed the pair of culprits, but, it is almost needless to say, we saw no more of them. Holland then made for tho front door, where, blowing his whistle, he had soon several ntout policemen at his disposal, who searched every nook and cranny likely to afford concealment, without, however, coming upon either of the men. In the green behind tho house, which was also subjected to close scrutiny by the light of the policemen's lampß, for it was now pitch dark, tho exclamation of one of Mr Holland's assistants, who had narrowly escaped falling into it, attracted our attention to a hole, of no great depth, which had been dug in a corner against tho party wall dividing the properties. The office of the wooden case, and the intentions of the two ruffians we had surprised, were now only too apparent. Holland whistled softly when the discovery was made. "By Jove! this is a serious business," ho admitted; then, turning to his men, he continued: "Here, Wills, Henderson, and you, Watson, away off round the terraces and keep a sharp lookout for any suspicious characters." We returned to the house. The horrible nature of the transaction we had disturbed kept me sileut. Had the two men completed their night's work without interference, a dastardly act might never have been detected.

Holland addressed mo abruptly: "I've no doubt, Doctor," he said, "they've got safe away. But I've been trying to think how they could possibly get into the house. I'll take my oath there was no one in it yesterday when we went through it together, and yet to-night they get into it without coming in by the front. It's puzzling, and I want to Bolve the mystery." " We heard them first of all in the attics," I responded, and suggested: " Had we not better go up there now ?" We proceeded up to the top of the huge house. In one of the rooms we found that part of the wall had been removed, giving an entrance to the adjoining tenement. '' That accounts for it," remarked Holland, quietly. "The house alongside seemed a very quiet one, I fancied. But I thought you were positive of the house, Dootor," he added drily. " Well, so I was, till I saw it couldn't have been tenanted, and even then the dog strengthened my former belief."

"By the way, we have never seen that dog again. It must have belonged to tho. last occupier of this house." "I think that must be tho explanation, although it must have been in tho other house I saw it."

" Well, well. We've explained everything now and ho mistake," said Holland, grimly ; and turning to the policeman who had entered the room at our heels, " You go down to tho house on the right, and get in—if you can, I expect you won't manage it." The policeman disappeared, obedient to the order of his superior, and wo crept through the hole into the adjoining buiding. Tho garret department wo had obtained admission to in this fashion had, to all appearance, been used for tho storage of lumber, and was full of odds and ends of furniture.

The rattling of the door-bell away down below was distinctly audible in the stillness of the night where he stood. Holland's assistant soon came back to report, as we expected would be the case, that his prolonged ringing of the bell had brought no response, no one seeming to be in the place. "Then we had better explore," decided Holland and we commenced to ransack the house, which was in all details, as tegards accommodation, the counterpart of that alongside in which Holland and I had been so long confined. There was every sign of its haying been in the possession of people of wealth. The furniture, if not all of recent date, was substantial, and costly pictures hung upon the walls. One bedroom I had no hesitation in recognising as that in which I had been so strangely introduced to my patient. The furnishings of the apartment were tossed about in the greatest confusion—the blankets and sheets dragged from tho bed and lying in bundles on the floor; the carpet ruffled, and a heap of charred papers within the grate. The disorder was more noticeable in this chamber than in any other in the house, and as I gazed round on the disarrangement, I decided in my own mind that if crime there was, and I had little doubt of it then, it had been committed here.

Leaving everything undisturbed, and stationing two policemen in charge, we retraced our steps to the box, which was opened by my order. As I had thought, it contained the body of a woman, and, oddly enough, I could perceive no odor on removing the lid, such as would indicate decomposition ; from which I was forced to conclude that death had occurred not long before. This puzzled mo not a little, as, I debated, had the woman been dead when I saw her on tho bed decomposition must of necessity have been by now well advanced. Had the woman, then, been dead when I was shown into the room ?

The body was rolled in a bed-sheet, and looked marble-white. There was now no hair upon the upper lip, and the form was that of a young woman, who could lay claim to a considerable share of beauty, of not more thani twenty-four years, I judged. I had the box removed to the hospital mortuary, where it would undergo the customary post mortem examination; and it now being very late, and feeling exhausted from my day's exertions, I left Holland and his men, returning homo to obtain some much-needed repose.

Early on the forenoon of the following day I set out for the hospital. It would be with more than ordinary interest that I would assist in the examination of the body we had captured. I had no difficulty in being put on the work; indeed my friend, Allgrcave, the hospital doctor, invited my co-operation. Donning white overalls, to save our own clothes from possible stains, we entered that part of the hospital buildings devoted to the storing and examination of the dead —in other words, the mortuary and dissecting thea're. I had become inured to the peculiar sickening odors that hung around the long low-ceiled chambers. The room in which the body was disposed was a large one, and contained quito a number of dissecting tables, each with its ledge on every side and perforated with numberless draining holes, communicating with the receptacles beneath. Allgreave and I were alone, and, as was our habit, wo performed our work in silence. We moved the body on to a table close to the window to have the benefit of a better light. My companion then turned down the cloth so as to uncover the woman's face. He looked at it for some seconds. It was of the same delicate marbly hue which had before struck me.

"I say, Ambrose," he at length remarked, in a perplexed tone, *' this body is quite fresh, It seems not to have been dead an hour." I had taken the hand of the woman—a small, shapely, alabaster-like hand it was—in my own, and was surprised to find it rigid instead of flaccid and relaxed. Allgreave, following up one of his tests to ascertaia the length of time that had passed since death, and with the look of bewilderment still on his mobile faee, administered a resonant slap to the side of the head, the effect of which was to cause me to drop the wrist I grasped with a start. The pulse, it seemed to me, had beaten in response to the slap, though I held the hand listlessly in my own palm ! Allgreave, noticing my amazement and my sudden motion, inquired " What is it ?" "Why," I replied, beckoning to tho arm in question, " when you gave that blow with your hand just now I fancied the pulse throbbed.

" You don't Bay so ?" And as he spoke a flash of intelligence replaced the doubtful look that his face had worn since we entered. Ho raised his expressive eyebrows, and then, bending anxiously, scanned tho face of the inflexible form extended before us. After making an effort to bend the stiff elbow he spoke, and a thrill of anxious doubt seemed to pervade his words: "Ambrose, there's something wrong here. I'm not sure that she's dead." I looked at him in astonishment. " What do you mean, Allgreave ?" I asked.

" Did you remark the absence of smell ?" was his rejoinder. " I did. To-day, and also last night, and it surprised me very much; but," I added, " I never doubted that she was not dead."

" Did you note the muscular rigidity of the limbs?" he went on; "they refuse to yield even to harsh treatment! " " Yes,".l agreed. " When firstl entered the sick chamber, as I think I told you, I was struck with the severe outline of the patient on the bed, although she was entirely covered then." "I don't think she's dead," he answered quietly. Again he subjected tho form to searching observation, making uso of those innumerable and simplo tests that seem to come with experience, but which, for tho most part, were then unknown to me. I was like a cypher beside Allgreave; his knowledge was so extensive. " We'll try the battery," he decided after a short pause of hesitation, an unusual thing with him; and he produced a diminutive case enclosing a small electrical apparatus for medical use.

The body was gently eased on the tabic to a sitting poßture, although the bonding of tho muscles was no easy task, and the current sent into the small of the back, at the lumbar vertebra). The immediate consequence of the initial shock was that tho body gave a sharp jerk forwards. " Bless me !" murmured Allgreave under his breath, in consternation, I take it, that his own theory was supported by this incident. He had the narrow wrist in his his hand. " She isn't dead ! The pulse is moving." I stood in silence watching him. 1 could be of little assistance in such an extreme case as this, and I knew he would work better if I did not interrupt. But to stand by and watch in silence was a trial to mc in my then frame of mind, almost more than I could bear. He turned his attention next to the nerves of the eye, sending a strong light into that organ. The result seemed to determine his opinion. " Catalepsis !" he briefly explained, without looking up ; and what had been a sort of myßtery to me, though I half guessed, from the characteristics of the peculiar case, that it was something of the kind now so concisely indicated by Allgreave, was made clear. I had had no experience of this dreadful nervous disorder, in which volition and all muscular action are abrubtly termi-

natcd, leaving the subject torpidly in the posture he occupied at the moment of attack; and I was therefore of little service to my more learned confrere, who had already determined upon his course of treatment. Ho took a couple of fine needles, and, baring the woman's feet, ran them under the toenails into the quick, watching grimly for the result—a movement, hasty and of not long duration, of one of the arms. He repeated the operation, and : a quiver ran through the limb he had selected. With the other foot he did the same thing, when a sharp twitch was given to the leg, and a spasm crossed the waxlike face.

Satisfied with these displays of sensation, ho proceeded to try the result of more exquisite pain, with the view of recovering the presently subdued muscular power. Providing himself with a small-sized and finely-edged blade, he entirely severed the upper portion of one of the nails, cutting the flesh on both sides. The whole body moved spasmodically, so keen was the torture inflicted, and an arm slipped over the side of the table waving to and fro for a few seconds with a pendulous motion, shoving that a cessation of restraint upon the muscles had already to some extent supervened. Allgreave's attempts at recuperation were evidently to be crowned with success, and he apparently thought so himself. At this stage he requested me to bring a couple of nurses, which I hastened away to do.

When I returned with two hospital attendants, it was to find that Allgreave had so far succeeded in his task of bringing the woman out of her trance state that her eyes were staring wildly around, though they seemed hot to convey any impression to the brain.

In this morbid condition she was carefully carried into the hospital proper, for it was thought that if she came to her senses in such a place as the dissecting-room, the nature of her surroundings might go far to procure a relapse. There is little more to tell. The case was one of unusual interest to the faculty, not alone on account of the length of time during which the supression of sensation and volition had endured, but because of the singular circumstances by which it had been attended throughout. The attack, it was generally agreed, must have been made by the disease when the woman was asleep, the position in which her body was found confirming this hypothesis. It occurred to me, in reviewing the incidents leading up to this achievement of my friend Allgreave's (for the medical journals of the time regarded his successful treatment of the case in this light), that I had been guilty of a grievous oversight in taking it for granted that life was extinct when I hastily examined the body on the stair, and when I distinctly rccolloct remarking the total absence of odor peculiar to bodies which have departed this life. I spoke of this to Allgreave, and ho comforted me by saying he would probably have done the same thing in my place, and adding further that the attendant circumstances, so upsetting in themselves, entirely exonerated me from fault. There was little doubt, and the view was corroborated by the woman herself on her rocovcry, which I am glad to say was soon effected, that the man who called at my shop had considered himself the cause of his wife's death—for wife of his she proved to be—and, fearing discovery, had decided to entomb what he little thought was a living body. The woman was not by any means a robust person, but rather one of nervous and hysterical tendencies. I never heard anything more of her husband. All that I can say is that the house in H street was vacated some little time after the woman's discharge from the hospital as cured. Whether the man, whose name was proved not to be "Jules R. Condott," evor returned, I cannot with cersainty tell; but, as the case was much commented upon by the newspapers, and he must have been made cognisant of his error of judgment in deeming his wife dead when she was only prostrated from a nervous affection, it is my own impression that he did. Certainly, the law could not hinder him doing so, as my detective friend, Holland, had reluctantly to admit. Justin Freshe,